ABOUT THIS ALBUM

Album Notes

In 2004 Carlos acquired a digital recorder that made it possible for him to do something he'd been wanting to do for a long time - record himself playing the guitar in those inspired moments that are difficult (if not almost impossible) to occur in in recording studios or live performances on stage or other venues. When he feels the moment is "right" - all he has to do is remember to push the record button and off he goes. Sometimes he can pull it off with very few mistakes - this is the way it happens.

The way Carlos plays is "inspired improvisation" because he stops thinking about what he is doing and goes into a trance where he can play "free." This is the way he wants to play the guitar, and since he's learned a tradition where he is competent in the acquired skills that he's had to study, learn and perform with, it's possible for him to do this.

In the flamenco tradition the guitarist plays "falsetas" that are generally learned or composed and there is little or any chance that most guitarists will stray from this "routine" as it's too risky to take chances and everyone knows it. Carlos could "fix" his mistakes by taking the extra time to edit. But he chose not to do that on this recording because it isn't honest, particularly when you are "putting yourself out on a limb" in the first place.

Over the last 6 years, Carlos has recorded himself and gathered a collection of almost 50 tracks of this kind of playing. After listening to them many times with his very self-critical process of elimination, he is now presenting what he considers to be the best of all these selections. There are 10, and they are all on one CD (total time: 51:45). The title of each selection is the inspiration that caused the piece to happen, and the title of the album means "At the Moment" in Spanish and that's what each selection is - "inspired improvisation at the moment".

1. La Lluvia en el Techo – August 12, 2004 Trad/Lomas (Rumba) 8:20The sound of the rain on the tin roof of the cabin at Guadalupita is the theme.

2. Para Paco Cepero – September 25, 2004 Trad/Lomas (Bulerias) 4:24The influence of this great guitarist became the inspiration.

4. Noche Nostálgica – January 27, 2009 Trad/Lomas (Siguiriyas) 2:55This was recorded late at night between midnight and 1 am on January 27, 2009, during a snowfallafter an intense day and evening of a guitar playing marathon on "La Madre" with new strings.

5. Para Diego del Gastor – September 28, 2006 Trad/Lomas (Soleares) 3:58The influence of this great guitarist is the point.

6. Al Baile – July 7, 2008 Trad/Lomas (Bulerias) 3:01You can sense the presence of Paco and Diego in the way Carlos is accompanying an imaginary dancer.

7. A la Sierra Nevada – January 27, 2009 Trad/Lomas (Serranas) 3:22As with #4 above, this was also recorded late at night between midnight and 1 am on January 27, 2009.

8. Taksim por Solea – April 7, 2005 Trad/Lomas (Soleares) 8:05The "Taksim" is a middle eastern form that Carlos has incorporated into the flameno genre in his ownway, and it has a way of presenting the origins of flamenco to the listeners.

9. Taksim por Siguiriyas – July 15, 2007 Trad/Lomas (Siguiriyas) 7:39This is a “live” recording made at 3:40 am on July 15, 2007, at a private birthday party for Karim’s motherin a moroccan tent at his store on Cerrillos Road in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

10. Topanga Tangos – January 24, 2005 Trad/Lomas (Tangos) 4:55Carlos took his guitar out of its case, Dave Dale picked up his bongos and Gioia Tama started doing "palmas" and thisspontaneous outburst happened in Giovanna's living room on Grandview Rd. in Topanga, California.